The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-06
PATRIOTISM FOR GIRLS.
Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland Offers Good
Advice to Her Young Countrywomen.


Advice to Her Young Countrywomen.
Augusta fMe) Sunshine.
American girls can help being American very
easily; they be very un-Amerlcan without
half trying. | shall not try to sneak OF all the
ways bv which this very undesirable reputation
can be deserved but there are two ways which
are so much to the point wish to make, that
will speak of them, and leave you to enumerate
others for yourself.
In the first place. then. you can be very un-
American, indeed, and become more and more
SO. and when you have become just as un- Amer
lean as you can be, keep so by simply
being and remaining Ignorant about your coun-
try.
wish to feel very little interest in them, you
must know very little about them and it you
wish to have no interest at ALL you must know
nothing. This rule holds particularly good
about this particularly good thing we call Amer
ica- The girl who wants to be un-Amercan
must know nothing about her country; she can
then feel interest In it. and if she has no in
terest she will have pride, no love, Amer
icanism. This is the first best way TO be I'M
American In the second lace you can be very
un-American indeed by being very something
ese-very French, very Italian, very German,
or alas Every English" There is better
way in the world to ailenate your
than to be disoval to that person
The very best way in the world for shallow
girl to lose admiration for one friend is to com
pare that friend with another who is more ad-
mired by every one else; who is 'the fashion"
And, even if she he not shallow, it Is a danger
PXper!ment.
self respect and sense of loyalty, for any girl to
expose dear friend to too much comparison
with others, and to hear too much criticism
from others. 1t is good thing not to permit
ones self to do this at all. If your old friend,
your brother, your sister. your mother. your
father is not SO much admired for surface quail
tiles by people in general, is some new friend,
that is not your affair; he she is, after all,
yours. and yours to keep. yours first and best,
always and forever
A very good way indeed. to be thought to be
un- American. and to really become 80. is to com
pare your country with other countries, with
constant Willingness TO believe the criticism of
other people which makes America come out of
the comparison second best. And toen to
initiate as much as possible, the manner and
customs of European countries: to catch up all
the foreign expressions and airs" You can; IN
short to be just French or just as + ngish as
you possibly can be- You will lose your sense
of loyalty toward your own land IN this way,
and then you will find it very easy to dislike
America just as Door sinners ind it very
easy always, to dislike everybody and every
thing which is a reproach to US
To be q truly American girl is 20 be truly
country-lovng girl; that is to be truly patriotic;
and that is love. aud honor, End be ready to
serve her country at all times and IN all places
Plenty of times and plenty of places will be
found if one is looking for tn sm.
No American girl can poss IDLY help loving and
honorng her grand country If she knows any
thing about 1t. The long, thrilling story OF Its
making, from first to last, from its beginning
way back in the hearts of men. TO its present
growth and greatness. will sink deeper ana
deeper into the heads nd hearts OF all who study
it. and mean more and U.ore. time goes on
Learn all You can, girls, of every country; you
never study history too much. But first
aud last, and in the middle. learn all you can OF
your own country. Yoa never. In whole
long life time, learn ali there is to learn The
story never grow stale. il rightly studied,
and never grows ii sessome
And stand up for America wherever you are
Don't initiate any foreign styles manners. If
in the depths of Pour GOOD, true country loving
hearts you are compelled to admit that your
country has fault, as every great nation has,
why, go TO wor s. first conceal and then cure
that fault; an D. let it be your glory that. as
American cir -, it is your mission to make every
thing Amer s.n good and beautiful that
lot long her zee it shall be more fashionable to
be very american" than very anything Else,
even very English"